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Medicine and dietary science have evolved tremendously over the past century. However, some of the worst diets in history gained traction due to misconceptions about human biology, consumerism, and general misinformation. Looking back at some of the scary fad diets that have taken root in recent history allows us to appreciate how far medical science has advanced, helping us learn from the mistakes of previous generations.

The Evolution Of Dieting

In the early 1900s, medical science was fairly limited. Many Americans faced a relatively low life expectancy. Recovery after injuries and illnesses was difficult then compared to what we can easily treat today. Additionally, the general public was primarily blue-collar workers in rural or small urban areas that relied upon the major news networks to keep them informed about the latest health news. Advertising also became a major industry in the early 1900s as communication technology improved. Some companies started using celebrities to advertise their products and encourage fad diets that had disastrous health consequences for many Americans.

Fad Diets In American History

In 1925, cigarette company Lucky Strike started a new campaign with the slogan “Reach for a Lucky instead of a sweet!” This ad aimed to tout nicotine’s appetite-suppressing properties as a way to slim down. During this time, medical researchers still believed that cigarettes offered health benefits and had not linked cigarette smoking to lung cancer. Lucky Strike essentially promoted lung disease as an alternative to gaining weight, and the public was none the wiser.

The birth of “the Hollywood Diet” occurred in the 1930s, a diet that called for eating low-calorie grapefruit with every meal. Stars reported staying in shape for the big screen thanks to the grapefruit-centric diet but largely continued many other negative practices like excessive alcohol consumption and smoking.

In the 1950s, the cabbage soup diet promised ten to fifteen pounds of weight loss in a single week by sticking to a very restricted diet and eating cabbage soup every day. The 1950s also saw one of the most shocking dietary techniques: opera singer Maria Callas lost 65 pounds thanks to a tapeworm after swallowing a pill packed with parasites.

The year of 1963 saw the founding of Weight Watchers, one of the most popular dieting programs in America that still exists today. The Weight Watchers program revolves around assigning “points” to different foods and sticking within a certain point range per day to lose weight. Weight Watchers is essentially a structured form of portion control.

In 1975, the next big Hollywood diet took root: the Cookie Diet promised weight loss by eating cookies baked with a special blend of amino acids, and many stars touted the plan as a resounding success. A few years later in 1977, Slim Fast hit store shelves for the first time and it continues to be one of the most popular meal replacement products to date.

By 1979, the first major diet pill, Dexatrim, hit American store shelves. This diet pill contained phenylpropanolamine, a compound later discovered in 2000 to increase stroke risk leading to Dexatrim’s formula alteration. In 1985, Harvey and Marilyn Diamond developed their Fit for Life diet plan that prohibited eating protein and complex carbohydrates in the same meal.

In 1992, Robert C. Atkins, M.D. published his Atkins Diet, a diet plan that focused on high protein and low carbohydrate intake that grew immensely popular across the United States. In 1994, new legislation through the Guide to Nutrition Labeling and Education Act required food manufacturers to list all of their ingredients and nutritional information on all food packaging. In 1995, the Zone Diet became the next big Hollywood craze that required eating specific portions of different types of foods. 2003 saw the next iteration of the Atkins Diet in the form of the South Beach Diet, a protein-rich and low-carb diet that was a bit less restrictive than the Atkins Diet.

Success Stories Throughout The Years

The best diets through the years involve portion control; overeating is one of the most common causes of extra weight and obesity. Most people eat too much in a single sitting. Weight Watchers is arguably one of the best diet plans and has more than 50 years of success stories behind it. Singer Jennifer Hudson shocked fans after showing her 80-pound loss thanks to Weight Watchers.

Despite the fact that portion control diets like Weight Watchers have been tremendously successful, one of the most important aspects of nutrition that many Americans overlook is the concept of eating for your age, or adapting your diet as you grow and your body changes.

Eating An Age-Appropriate Diet

During your 20s, it is vital to eat foods rich in iron, calcium, potassium, and folate that encourage healthy adult development and a strong immune response. In your 30s, choline and monounsaturated fats are important for maintaining healthy metabolism and high energy levels. In your 40s, protein and vitamins A and C are crucial to protect your muscle mass and bone density and help ease joints that start to ache. However, there is no one-size-fits-all diet plan for everyone; every person has unique medical concerns that require individual solutions.

In addition to eating for your age, it is also important to develop healthy habits outside of diet. This means incorporating a reasonable amount of exercise into your daily routine and avoiding bad habits like excessive alcohol consumption and smoking. Ultimately, the best diet is one uniquely tailored to your individual health concerns and medical risks.

Dietary Rehab Can Help with Your Nutritional Efforts

If you have tried fad diets in the past and have been unsuccessful or failed at portion control and cutting out bad foods, sometimes a professional hand can offer the push needed to develop the perfect diet plan that offers balanced nutrition. Dietary Rehab is a top notch resource for anyone in need of nutrition advice, diet planning, and individualized wellness tips for specific risk factors and medical conditions. Visit our consulting page to learn more about the services available from Dietary Rehab and start developing your wellness goals today.

If you bake, you probably know there are many different types of flour. Nut flours like almond and hazelnut offer many of the nutritional benefits found in whole nuts. Oat flour has extra fiber and is gluten-free. Coconut flour is often substituted for white flour in paleo recipes.

Coffee flour is new on the scene, and it offers amazing health benefits.

Coffee Flour Improves Health and the Environment

With coffee four being touted as not only good for you, but also good for the environment, we had to dive deeper into this mysterious new ingredient. We wanted to find out for ourselves what the benefits and potential uses for coffee flour are all about.

What Is Coffee Flour?

The coffee you drink every morning comes from the Coffea plant. Coffee growers raise the plants for their fruit – little red cherries that each contain one or two seeds. These farmers harvest, dry and grind the seeds to make America’s favorite morning beverage.

Until now, growers had no use for the rest of the plant; they threw away the cherry pulp. Recently, a former coffee house employee invented a process to dry discarded cherry pulp and grind it into flour.

What Makes Coffee Flour Unique?

Coffee flour doesn’t taste like coffee. It has a smooth flavor that’s more like tea or molasses. Some blends contain light citrus notes, and others are slightly bitter.

Coffee flour works well in:

Muffins

Granola bars

Other baked goods

But you don’t have to worry about the afternoon jitters if you use coffee flour in your favorite recipes: There’s only around 62 milligrams of caffeine per one tablespoon serving – about the same amount contained in a serving of dark chocolate.

Health Benefits of Coffee Flour

Coffee flour only has 34 calories per serving, but it packs a powerful nutritional punch. Here are some of its health benefits:

It contains 1.8 grams of soluble fiber and 3.4 grams of insoluble fiber per serving, making it a high-fiber flour.

Fiber helps your body digest food, absorb nutrients and balance blood sugar. It also helps you stay full longer. It’s low fat, too: While almond flour contains 3.5 grams of fat per tablespoon and coconut flour has 1 gram for the same amount, coffee flour only has 0.056 grams.

It’s also an excellent source of potassium, which reduces blood pressure and preserves both bone mass and lean muscle. It contains 310 milligrams of potassium per serving, almost as much as a whole banana.

Coffee Flour Uses

Coffee flour can be incorporated into most recipes. Just use it in place of 30 percent of the flour your recipe calls for. If you are worried about a different taste in your favorite food, try mixing coffee flours with other kinds of flours. Coffee flour also thickens smoothies, soups and sauces.

Coffee Flour’s Role in the Environment and Jobs

While we are all concerned with healthy eating, we also want to ensure our farming is done with the health of the planet in mind. Therefore, it’s comforting to know coffee flour has socioeconomic and environmental benefits. Instead of dumping waste in rivers or rotting in landfills, farmers turn this coffee byproduct into a sustainable source of income.

Since the plant pulp that is used was once thrown away or used for fertilizer, this new use is much better for the environment. It’s also a boon to many poor economies, too.

Coffee is grown in some of the world’s poorest countries. This new industry creates jobs, as workers are needed to harvest, dry, mill and package the pulp. A whole new industry from coffee flour is currently improving agricultural communities on three continents.

Coffee Flour in Paleo Recipes

Coffee flour is non-GMO, vegan and gluten-free. It’s the perfect ingredient in many sweet and savory paleo recipes. Try it as part of your favorite paleo recipes to boost both flavor and nutrition.

Dietary Rehab helps people understand nutrition to overcome obesity and chronic disease. We help people enjoy healthy eating and feel good while doing it.

Browse through our recipes and feel free to substitute coffee flour for an extra-healthy boost to an already nutritious and tasty recipe.

There are chefs and cooks everywhere that have taken the much-maligned cauliflower out from underneath the cheese sauce and given it new life, new recipes and a whole new image! Cauliflower rice, a wonderful alternative to regular rice for the Paleo Diet, as well as cauliflower pizza crust, (yes, you read that right!) for Paleo pizza lovers everywhere! You can roast, bake, boil, mash, stew or even turn it into a hearty soup. Cauliflower is extremely versatile and takes on the flavors of whatever spice or sauce it is around. So many things you can do with it, where do I begin?

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

Since I have already whetted your appetites with pizza, here is the easiest and most delicious way to make pizza dough without any grains and plenty of taste!

For the dough:

1 head of cauliflower, stalk removed

1l/2 cup shredded mozzarella

¼ cup grated Parmesan

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper

Break the cauliflower into florets and pulse in a food processor until fine.

Steam in a steamer basket and drain well (I like to put on a towel to get all the moisture out) Let cool.

In a bowl, combine the cauliflower with the remaining ingredients until well mixed.

Transfer to the center of the baking sheet and spread into a circle, resembling a pizza crust.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

I do recall mentioning soup. And this one is a curried soup. I love curry. Give me a good curry and I will follow you anywhere. This one is mild. But it doesn’t have to be….

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets

2 tablespoon olive oil (yes, it’s Paleo)

1 medium to large onion, chopped

3 cups chicken stock, low sodium

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 ½ teaspoon cumin

1 cup full fat coconut milk

¼ cup roasted cashews

2Tbln parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread cauliflower and onion in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown, stirring once.

Place the cauliflower and onions into a large pot, add the chicken stock and the spices with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

With an immersion blender, puree the ingredients in the pot until smooth. If you have no immersion blender, carefully transfer to a stand-up blender to puree.

Stir in the coconut milk and return to the stove to warm soup. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with roasted cashews and parsley as garnish.

This recipe can be made into your own by adding other vegetables, such as sweet potatoes or carrots. Even parsnips or any other interesting root vegetable. This is a great soup for a cold winter evening!

Roasted Cauliflower with Dates and Pine Nuts

This is an excellent side dish, or stand alone snack or light lunch. It complements any meat dish, even meatloaf!

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, broken into small florets

4 tablespoon coconut oil

1/3 cup pine nuts

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Evenly spread cauliflower on a parchment covered baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.

Bake for 20 minutes, tossing once after 10 minutes to assure even baking. The cauliflower should have golden brown edges.

Add coconut oil to small skillet, add the pine nuts, stirring frequently, until they are light golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add garlic and dates, cook for another 2-3 minutes until they are softened. Add salt to taste.

Transfer hot cauliflower to a serving bowl and drizzle the pine nut and date mixture over the top and toss to combine. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Of course, you know me; I can’t leave any recipe alone. I like to add nutmeg, or allspice for a more Mediterranean taste, or Chinese five spice or oyster sauce for an Asian twist. Ginger is good as well. Play with it and see what kinds of variations you can come up with.

Healthy Cauliflower Rice

This is a great alternative to regular rice, it not being specifically on the Paleo Diet*. Use it for your stir-fry dishes, as a side dish to broccoli beef or as a potato alternative, to add a bit of variety to your meal.

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, separated into 1” florets

3 tablespoon coconut oil

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon salt

For the Garnish:

2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley

Juice of ½ lemon

Instructions:

Trim as much of the stem as possible off the florets

In the food processor break up the florets until they resemble couscous. You may have to do up to three batches.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir to coat. Continue cooking, stirring frequently until onions are golden brown and soft. Approx 8 minutes.

Add the cauliflower and stir to combine. Add the salt and continue cooking until the cauliflower has softened, approx 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat.

When I make rice, I use chicken bouillon to add flavor. Here you can use a bit of chicken or beef bouillon instead of the coconut oil to give it a heartier flavor. Just use less oil, because it will only be for the onions and replace the rest of the oil with the bouillon. Again, play with it to make it your own.

Tips For Cooking Cauliflower For Paleo Diets

*White rice is allowed in the Paleo diet if you need more carbohydrates. But there are no nutrients in the white rice, unless added later. Brown rice, because the hull is left in place, is considered a grain because the hull has toxins in it just like the other grains.

**If you are using the cauliflower rice for an Asian dish, leave out the parsley and lemon juice, as they will detract from the meat and sauce.

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Having recently looked into a study on high protein diets for athletes doing resistance training, it quickly became apparent that certain exercise types — such as resistance training and endurance training — have unique dietary needs to be completely effective. There was no significant change in body composition for anyone in the study, but other studies regarding a high protein diet all agree with this one thing: that the high protein diet burns fat mass — and the fear that it would raise cholesterol have been debunked.

A high protein diet can actually lower cholesterol and there is no chance of renal failure or significant changes to blood lipids or hepatic functions. Also, high protein diets may reduce fat mass by inhibiting lipogenesis in the liver. And if, however, you do a periodic resistance training schedule along with other sports training, a high protein diet can significantly change your body composition. Endurance athletes’ dietary needs are better met with significantly higher amounts of protein.

Why A Paleo Diet Is Beneficial To Athletes

The Paleo Diet is not necessarily a high protein diet, more of a low empty-carbohydrate diet. That being said, it reduces the number of sugars as well as grains. You get your sugars naturally from fruit and your carbohydrates from them as well as vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, and yams or sweet potatoes. It doesn’t make you feel deprived, it’s versatile and allows you to eat when you want, as much as you want. Most high protein diets still allow grain carbohydrates and a significantly higher sugar intake than the Paleo Diet. This diet just asks: “What would a caveman eat?”

When training for any event or have a significant workout, nutrition is very important. The Paleo Diet can be modified to fit the athlete’s needs. If you have a significant game or a marathon to run, eating a small, balanced (500-1000 calories) meal 3-4 hours beforehand is recommended. For the caveman, it will include potatoes, sweet potatoes or yams, a variety of green vegetables and a regular portion of meat. This meal should be lower in fat, as fat takes longer to digest. If the meal is closer to the event, it should be smaller still. Be sure to include plenty of water with this meal and during the pre-event time.

The after event meal is slightly more important and should include carbohydrates, protein, and fat. This meal should also be consumed within 30 minutes after the event, to make optimum use of the nutrients. This is when protein synthesis is at its best and the carbohydrates can help replenish the diminished glycogen stores and enhances muscle growth. If you do not feel you can eat, a protein shake is recommended with milk, almond or coconut milk. (So many options!) Add whey or soy protein, some fruit if desired or vegetables for a complete “meal”. If you are an endurance athlete, this is actually the meal when you want to add more protein to your intake. A four to one ratio of protein to carbohydrates is recommended.

Protein Needs For Athletes

The amount of protein needed for an athlete depends on the amount of exercise that is done. This is where the high protein diet comes into its best effect.

1-1.5 hours of exercise requires 1.2 grams per kilogram of weight per day

2-4 hours of exercise requires 1.4 grams per kilogram of weight per day

5 or more hours requires 1.7 grams per kilogram of weight to replace the amino acids that have been cannibalized during the extreme exercise

After all this, any athlete may need extra carbohydrates to help fuel all the exercise output. Paleo is not a diet you have to absolutely stick to. It is a guideline and can be modified to meet your needs. Let me repeat that. The Paleo Diet can be modified to meet your needs. This is very important to remember. If you need more carbs and the sweet potato fries aren’t cutting it, add another baked potato. Put butter and sour cream on it, if you like. Whatever hits your fancy. Eat whatever your body needs, as long as you’re eating enough carbohydrates to meet your performance goals.

Fats are also an important part of the athletic diet. The Paleo Diet includes fats as a part of the complete nutritional picture. Having fats in your diet is as important as having the right amount of protein or carbohydrates to fuel your performance.

Calorie counting on the Paleo Diet is not necessary unless you need more calories to keep up your performance goals. If you jog for an hour or two a day and have nothing else strenuous going on, you will still need at least 2500 calories to maintain your weight and performance levels, more if you are trying to gain muscle. You want to make sure you have enough food, this also means fat, in your daily intake. So, forget about the skinless chicken breasts; instead have bacon, pork shoulder, avocados, and eggs – WITH the yolk.

Now, remember, this is for the endurance athlete and the ones who exercise rigorously twice a day or more. The rest of us can get by on the usual fare; basically, there is no need to have those before and after event meals. (But we can still have an extra potato if the need or want arises.) The Paleo Diet is wonderful and not really a diet at all. Especially not a low-carb or low-fat diet. More a life guideline, if you choose to do it. Do not let yourself get run down or exhausted, especially if you have been working out. That includes walking (or jogging) the dog…..Have another potato or more bacon!

Our caveman ancestors were hunter-gatherers and were in shape. Eating what they could hunt or find, and doing a lot of walking in the process, kept them lean and muscular, athletic and versatile. That was their lifestyle. Although they did not choose it, we can choose it for ourselves today.

Paleo Diet For Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyle

I know a woman who started the Paleo Diet because she wanted to lose a bit of weight she had gained. It was difficult at first, not having any desserts or other sweets, but she stuck to it, even started jogging. After a few months of the new “diet”, she felt ambitious enough to enter a 5 km run nearby. That was three years ago. She now runs many different marathons of 20 to 50 km and some even on mountainous terrain. And won a few! She has kept up the Paleo Diet, modifying it for her and her family’s needs and it has become their lifestyle.

Now, I am not saying we all need to run marathons to keep the Paleo lifestyle for us. But doing Paleo will make us feel better, gives us more energy, helps us lose weight and definitely helps build muscle. You can start walking the dog more often, rather than the dog walking you or just sitting there, forlorn. You will have the energy to keep up with your kids or your grand kids and might even be able to surprise them a time or two. Maybe the exercise regimen you have now can be upgraded or done more often! The possibilities are endless! A few tips to remember:

In order for any “diet” to work, it must be a lifestyle choice. In other words, we need to change our way of thinking and do the “diet” for the rest of our lives. Many diets do not work well this way. The Paleo Diet does.

Use common sense. A moderate portion of meat and lots of veggies for dinner with sweet potato fries. Omelets with lots of veggies and apples dipped in almond or peanut butter. You can also go out to eat. Just substitute sweet potato fries for regular fries or potatoes, and if you’re craving a hamburger, just get it “Caveman Style”. The options are out there.

Remember where I said my friend had modified the diet to meet her needs? She loves cheese. She used to eat cheese on a daily basis. Now she eats it once a week. Oh, and chocolate? Dark chocolate is allowed on the Paleo Diet! It’s better for you anyways than milk chocolate. Once you have gotten used to eating Paleo; that is, much less carbohydrates, you can start modifying it to fit your needs. Or you can ease into Paleo by eating less and less carbs until you are doing pure Paleo.

With the Paleo Diet, the thing to remember is to eat when you’re hungry, stop when you’re full and not eat when you’re not hungry. You get your carbohydrates through your nutrient dense vegetables and fruits, as well as getting natural sugars (also carbs). The Paleo Diet is stress-free eating. You can eat a big breakfast, a couple of snacks and then a big dinner; eat a small breakfast and a lunch and snacks for dinner and a late pick-me-up. As long as you are eating Paleo, you can eat when you want and as much as you want. No counting calories!

The Paleo Diet is not for everyone. But those of us who could lose a few pounds or more, or are stuck in a rut or stressed out from yo-yo diet fads, or just want to feel healthier; this might be something to look into. Our bodies were never really meant to eat all those breads, cereals and sugar.

We were hunter-gatherers for 140,000 years and only in the last 10,000 have we had agriculture which has given us all those grains. Our bodies haven’t gotten used to all those fancy things. Maybe it’s time to go back to our roots and eat what we were meant to eat. There are many websites and articles you can look up to learn more about the Paleo Diet. Do your research and get the facts. One of the better sites for finding out more is http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

The leading expert on the Paleo Diet is Dr. Loren Cordain. His page is at http://thepaleodiet.com/ I believe the best way to figure out if the Paleo Diet is for you is to try it for 30 days and see if you feel any better, have more energy, or lost any weight. To start you off, here is a recipe for Paleo Spaghetti:

Paleo Spaghetti

For the “Spaghetti”:

1 Spaghetti Squash, halved and seeds scooped out

¼ cup olive oil

Salt, pepper

For the Sauce:

1 lb fresh ground turkey

1 small onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 jar tomato sauce

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt, pepper to taste

Sprigs of basil for garnish

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rub the olive oil on both halves, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in a rimmed baking dish cut side up and roast the squash for 40-45 minutes or until a fork can easily poke it. Remove from oven and let cool until you can handle it. Using fork, scrape inside of squash shredding the inside into strands.

While the squash is roasting, melt coconut oil in a pan, add minced garlic and chopped onion and cook for 4-5 minutes, until onion is glassy. Add the ground turkey and brown, stirring occasionally. Add the chopped tomato and tomato sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the Italian seasoning. Simmer on low, stirring occasionally until the spaghetti squash is done roasting.

Once the squash is shredded, place on plates, add sauce, garnish with the basil. Bon Apetit!

There are so many variations you can do with this recipe! Since the spaghetti squash can be a pasta substitute, use a pesto sauce instead! Or make your own homemade spaghetti sauce. Use Beef or ground chicken instead of turkey. As long as the ingredients are Paleo, the sky’s the limit! And if you’re not quite ready to go Paleo all the way, you can still use Alfredo sauce or add a bit of Parmesan on top!

Bottom line is: at least do some homework on the Paleo Diet and try it for 30 days. The only thing you have to lose is weight!

Holiday Baking – Paleo Diet Style

Ah, the Holidays! Wonderful, sweet memories of baking pumpkin pies and gingerbread men with your grandmother. Now that you’re on the Paleo Diet, you have to give up all those goodies, right? Guess again! Here are a few yummy recipes to try. And don’t forget: modifying the recipes for your taste or preferences is definitely allowed!!

Paleo Pumpkin Pie Bars

With Thanksgiving coming just around the corner, I thought this would be a tasty alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie. You can play around with the spice amounts and make this recipe your own.

For the Topping:

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. First the crust: add pitted dates and almond butter into food processor. Pulse until it breaks down together.

Add the rest of the ingredients for the crust and puree until smooth.

Grease an 8×8 pan with coconut oil and pour your mixture in, smoothing and leveling it out. Place in oven for 12-15 minutes or until firm and toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

While crust is baking, mix your filling ingredients into the food processer until pureed, incorporating the coconut concentrate/butter. It shouldn’t be chunky.

When the crust is cooled, add your pumpkin puree on top, smoothing and leveling again

Now your topping: add the coconut oil to a pan to heat under medium heat. Add your chopped pecans stirring constantly as they will burn easily. Add the remaining ingredients while stirring to prevent burning the pecans. Roast for about 3-4 minutes.

Cut and serve. Keep refrigerated or in freezer to keep intact and from melting

*To make your own coconut butter, just get a bag of coconut flakes and put in the food processor. Process for about 8-10 minutes, scraping the sides occasionally. Done.

Brownie Eggnog Pumpkin Pie

If you would prefer a more traditional pie, but still want to do Paleo, never fear! There are lots of wonderful Paleo recipes for pumpkin pie, like this one:

For the Filling:

1 can (14oz) pumpkin puree

1 cup coconut or almond milk eggnog

2 eggs

½ cup coconut sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

Pinch of salt

For the Brownies:

15 dates, pitted

¼ cup coconut oil, melted

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 eggs, whisked

2 tablespoon coconut flour

2 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a pie plate with coconut oil

Place all filling ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside. Wipe out food processer (doesn’t have to be super clean).

Add dates to food processor and pulse until a clumpy paste forms

Add coconut oil and cocoa powder, puree until well mixed and it has become smoother

Finally add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, about two minutes

Spread half the brownie mixture into the bottom of the pie pan, smoothing it out to the sides.

Pour pumpkin mixture on top.

Lastly, add the remaining brownie mixture by the spoonfuls on top and swirl around with a knife. The brownie mixture will be sticky and not swirl easily.

Place pie on baking sheet in oven and bake for 1 hour

Let rest for about 20 minutes and then place in refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.

*If you have all the regular spices, you can use those instead in the traditional amounts or use the amounts from the pumpkin pie bars recipe above. And if you are using the pumpkin pie spice this recipe calls for, I recommend using a bit more than they ask for.

I added this one in, because we all love chocolate chip cookies and who doesn’t love bacon?

Paleo Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

Yes, you read that right! Paleo allows dark chocolate and of course, BACON!! Now we can put two of our favorite foods together and have the king of all comfort foods! I realize it is not a traditional holiday cookie, however, bacon! We require:

For the Dough:

3 cups almond flour

2/3 cups tapioca flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

½ cup maple syrup

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ bag of dark chocolate chips

[h2] For the bacon:

5 slices thick bacon

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare the bacon: put the bacon into a bowl and coat with the maple syrup, using fingers is probably best. Place on a baking sheet and put into oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Turn the bacon over and give it another 5 minutes. Take out, let cool on baking sheet and lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. The bacon will crisp up as it cools and add a delightful crunch to the cookies!

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, mix together the wet ingredients until fully mixed. When done, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well.

Once the bacon has cooled, cut into chocolate chip sized pieces and add to the mixture along with the chocolate chips.

Roll your dough into 1 inch balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Flatten slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 18 cookies.

You could replace the maple syrup with agave syrup, but it will change the flavor a bit. If coconut flour is less expensive in your area, try using that instead. These cookies are well worth a try and are a great addition to the holidays! Any holidays. Birthdays. Late night snack. Whatever. Mmmmmm, bacon.

If you are an athlete, you may be wondering whether the Paleo Diet is the best eating plan for you. Our distant ancestors were definitely in good physical shape; their very survival depended on being able to respond quickly to physical threats. We may not be living in caves any longer, but if you are leading an active lifestyle, you’ll want to make sure you are eating right so that you have the resources necessary to push yourself to new limits. The Paleo Diet contains elements that can help you perform at your best, no matter what sport you choose.

Reasons Why Athletes Should Use The Paleo Diet

The following are a few beneficial reasons why athletes should eat Paleo.

1. Carbs For Energy

This low-carb diet is chock full of fruits and vegetables, which means you won’t be putting on the pounds. Instead, you will have the energy you need during a workout, a practice or on game day – exactly when you need it.

If you have ever had the feeling of being weighed down, it was likely because you were eating foods that contained the wrong kinds of carbs. After only seven days on the Paleo Diet, you should be able to notice a real difference in how you feel and the way you will be able to perform on and off the court, field or track.

2. Protein To Build Muscle

We now know from updated sport nutrition info that going fully low carb only isn’t the best way to eat for athletes. The Paleo Diet is a high-protein eating plan which will give you ample opportunity to build lean muscle in order to improve your skill at your chosen sport. It is an excellent eating plan, since it can be adapted to the needs of each athlete. If you need to slim down, you can. In a case where you need to put on muscle, you can and due to the high amount of protein, it will be easier for your body to build new muscle.

3. Fiber To Maintain A Healthy Weight

With the amount of fiber you’ll be eating, it will be easier to maintain a healthy weight. Eating Paleo also helps you stay regular, which helps with bloating, energy and overall health. You’ll want to make sure that your fiber intake is kept up so that your digestive system is running at an optimum level. If it slows down, it will affect your athletic performance and as well as other areas of your life.

4. Healthy Fats Are Built In To The Diet

You need a certain amount of fat in your diet to stay healthy, and eating Paleo satisfies this requirement. They help you shed pounds, if you need to, and keep you feeling full and able to focus between meals. Being able to stay alert mentally while keeping energy levels up is definitely a benefit you want to get from your diet.

The fat you get from foods like almonds, olive oil and avocados are included in the Paleo Diet. You can also include saturated fats from macadamia nuts and coconut oil.

The Paleo Diet is one where focusing on eating unprocessed foods is the goal. It should be referred to as an eating plan instead of a diet, since the word “diet” implies that it is solely about weight loss.

The “Caveman” approach to eating is far from being some type of fad diet. Early humans ate whole, unprocessed foods – and thrived on them. This way of eating merely takes us back to our (relatively) recent past and offers us the types of food that we would be eating if we were living a simpler and arguably, healthier, lifestyle.

If you feel (and studies have shown) that many of the diseases that we suffer from are the price we pay for eating “modern”, which would include sugar, stripped grains, and anything processed, this plan may be right for you.

Paleo Diet Benefits

The Paleo Diet is flexible enough that you can approach it in a way that makes sense to you and your taste buds. You go low-carb if you wish or add in carbs like potatoes and rice if you enjoy them.

You can improve your health on a Paleo Diet, but don’t think that it’s all about shedding pounds in a hurry. It is a way to eat well that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds prepared in tasty and interesting ways.

This recipe for jicama carrot slaw is just one easy example and is great for BBQ’s or any get-together!

Use either a food processor with a shredder blade or a box grater to shred the jicama and the carrots. If you want to save time, buy pre-shredded carrots, even though they are usually more expensive to purchase.

Combine the jicama and shredded carrots into a large bowl. Add chipotle mayo, cilantro and lime juice. Stir ingredients until they are well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill to allow flavors to blend before serving.

Summer is a great time for family and friend get-togethers; and this featured Paleo Diet recipe is a great choice for summertime.

But first, a little more about the Paleo Diet.

The Paleo Diet is a very popular way of eating these days. It is also known as the Stone Age Diet and the Primal Diet. Its basic premise is, “What would our cave-dwelling ancestors eat?”

5 Basic Types Of Foods In The Paleo Diet

It includes five basic types of foods:

Fruits

Vegetables

Meat

Seafood

Nuts

Benefits Of The Paleo Diet

Choosing to go Paleo in your eating habits can benefit you in several ways. If you choose organic foods, you get natural, preservative-free foods and can eat a clean diet. The high fruit and vegetable content means you won’t have any trouble getting your recommended amount of servings per day.

This type of eating is actually quite filling. Since it is protein-rich and full of fiber, you shouldn’t have an issue with feeling hungry in between meals.

Slice the tomatoes in half horizontally. Carefully scoop out the seeds and membrane with the handle end of a spoon or a fork and set aside.

Place half of the avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork until almost smooth. Add yogurt, mayo, lime juice and cumin. Stir to combine.

Dice the remaining half of the avocado and add it along with 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir until just blended. Set aside.

In a bowl, season ground beef with chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Mix well. Divide into four equal portions and gently portion each one into a 1/2 inch patty.

Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill patties three minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness is reached.

While patties are cooking, lightly grease a medium no-stick pan with olive oil. Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add tomato halves face down and cook for two-three minutes (they should just begin to brown).

Flip the tomatoes and cook for 20 seconds on the other side so they have a bit of color there as well.

To assemble burgers: Place a pinch of sprouts on the bottom of each half tomato, then top with a beef patty, two Tablespoons of avocado sauce. Finish with the other half of each tomato. Serve immediately.

Experimenting With The Paleo Diet

During the last month I’ve been experimenting with the Paleo Diet. I have however made some changes that are detailed below. I wanted to see firsthand what the hype is about. In fact, to actually call my trial run as a Paleo Diet may not be fair… its more like a Paleo template. Having known some of the specifics of the diet for a while, I felt no need to dive further into the details. Rather than endlessly researching, why not actually give it a trial run. If you’re not familiar with the Paleo Diet you will soon as it starts to go mainstream. Essentially, the key components are to avoid grains, legumes and dairy. At this point many people will start to feel a little uncomfortable. Give up bread, milk and beans? Well, no one is really sad to give up beans. However, peanuts are a legume, so no peanut butter, that part kind of sucks. At least there are alternatives though.

Paleo Diet – Not A Typical “Diet”

Some call it just another “fad” diet. But I don’t think the Paleo Diet has fallen victim to false advertising; in fact, it’s full of scientifically and logically-based principles. Anytime the word “diet” is attached to something, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. A “diet” often means a few short-lived habits that can’t be sustained, containing numerous nutritional myths.

Dr. Loren Cordain, author of two of the most notable Paleo Diet books including “The Paleo Answer”, made numerous valid points about health and the potential benefits of excluding dairy, grains, and legumes. His views inspired me to dig a little deeper into my own habits and give Paleo a shot. As a wellness professional, I’d already cut wheat out of my own diet, and for some time I already knew of the unsettling distress dairy has on my digestive system.

Adjusting The Paleo Diet To Fit You

But as a naturally thin guy, I’d hit an impasse. The Paleo Diet emphasizes the inclusion of pasture-raised meats, seafood, veggies, nuts, seeds, some oils, and fruit. While this does provide a variety of food options, someone like me might have difficulty gaining weight with these choices. So, I began following a slightly modified Paleo plan.

To get those extra calories, I’ve reintroduced small amounts of low-lactose dairy, or Kefir, and fortunately I haven’t felt any digestive stress. I include a “wheat-like” product once a week, and through some great Paleo recipe blogs I’ve even found ways to satisfy my cookie addiction! So it’s important to understand that though Paleo has some tight guidelines, it can be the foundation to finding the perfect nutrition lifestyle that’s right for you. Rest assured the Paleo Diet won’t make you feel like you need to sacrifice your favorite foods.

As a Precision Nutrition Fitness Nutrition Coach, I’ve been putting my clients on a modified version of the Paleo Diet even before I knew what Paleo entailed, and often they’d complain of having too much food to eat; they were stuffed but kept losing weight. There’s so much power in not feeling deprived, and actually nourishing your body with the nutrients it needs. Should you make the switch to Paleo?

Research shows that when we try to change too many habits at once, the rate of actual success is abysmal. Thus, for the vast majority of clients, I ask them to make one nutritional change at a time. But there are always exceptions, and such a case involved a senior client who had suffered from acid-reflux and IBS for years. Several specialists tried to help her, and the medications they prescribed not only didn’t work, but they also led to other health issues. After only three weeks of following a modified Paleo approach eliminating wheat and limiting carbs, her symptoms were almost completely gone. And after six weeks, completely gone.

Something to consider when following a Paleo Diet that restricts grains, is that there are people who do not react negatively to all grains, and in proper quantities and timing won’t necessarily lead to weight gain. Amaranth or wild rice for example can still be part of a well-rounded nutritional approach, but probably should be limited in quantity. It’s also important to take into account how those grains are prepared, which we’ll dive into the details in a later article. What about bread? It’s my belief that the vast majority of people who do eliminate “healthy whole wheat”, are actually able to avoid many of the common diseases wheat-eaters suffer from.

Perhaps the biggest challenge for me now, aside from getting enough calories to gain weight, is the elimination of protein powder. I haven’t completely eliminated it, but I have relied on these supplements too much in the past. Protein powder does shake my long-held beliefs about avoiding all processed foods; but there is new research showing benefits to some whey protein consumption in relation to cancer prevention.

Overall, my body is responding extremely well to a diet that many “experts” would say is not optimal because it excludes some foods that are promoted as “healthy”. I’ve modified the diet in a way that fits my lifestyle, goals, and preferences so I know I can stick with it. It’s more important to follow the reliable nutritional habits of the Paleo lifestyle, than it is to sign up with the latest fad diet and fall off the wagon after only a few weeks. The Paleo Diet can be your ticket out of the classic diet rut. If you adjust the Paleo Diet to your comfort levels, you can finally feel good in your body.

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I’ll share the results of my blood work. What are the results internally of a Paleo style diet? Is my doctor going to say she told me so?